For the Tiger and For the Hawk
by Summer Styles
Summary: Tobitaka meets a girl in a club and doesn't know how to feel. Toramaru likes a girl but doesn't know how to admit it. Takes place after Amber. Rated T for swearing. Tobitaka/OC, Toramaru/? Narrators change in every chapter. [Updates are very seldom. I'm sorry!]
1. Clubs: Tobitaka

Clubs. They're ridiculous. They're terrible. All you could see are a bunch of drunken college students and some skanky dancers. I'm currently in one. Being a year too young to drink legally I am accompanied by Tsunami and his girlfriend Kohaku. They start drinking (I mean HE starts drinking) and leave me at the bar to go dancing. I have a glass of light beer in hand with a bored expression.

_This is boring._ I think to myself.

A bunch of dancers walk to me and ask if I want to dance. I say no and they leave rather pissed. I take a sip of my light beer and just hope that everything doesn't go fuzzy. Then a blond girl in a short top and a short skirt sits beside me.

"Can I have a glass of ginger ale? Put it in a champagne glass so that it would seem like I'm drinking champagne." She says.

"I'm sorry but there's no ginger ale here." The bartender replies.

"Shit. Can you just mix 7 Up or Sprite with a bit of Mountain Dew or a dash of orange soda so it can look like champagne? Or just mix Sprite and Coke to make it look like beer?"

"I'll see what I can do."

The bartender leaves and then the girl beside me sighs. I look at her and notice the confused expression on her face.

"Underage?" I ask.

She jumps up, surprised. Then she looks at me.

"You can tell?" she asks me.

"Yes, I can." I reply.

"Can you not tell anyone about this?"

"Depends. How old are you?"

"Seventeen. Why do you ask?"

I don't reply. Instead I just take out my comb and fix my hair.

"Oh my god, you're underage too!" she says.

"You can tell?" I ask her.

"Maybe." She replies.

I sip my light beer and notice her stare at me. I look at her and she turns her head away. It's silent between the two of us until she speaks.

"You're seventeen?" she asks.

"Yes." I reply. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, since you're not eighteen you might as well be seventeen."

"What's your story?"

"Huh?"

"What's your story? Why are you here in this club?"

She appears to be pondering. I take another sip of my light beer and then she looks at me.

"A bunch of my friends invited me. I went to college early so most of my friends are in their legal drinking age. How about you?" she asks.

"It's almost the same." I reply. "I came here with a teammate in his drinking age and his girlfriend who is about our age. Despite my age I've been allowed to drink light beer."

"You really don't look seventeen at all. You look more like you're nineteen or something which is why I was surprised when I found out you were underage."

"Now I see why."

The bartender arrives with a champagne flute with clear, yellow, bubbly liquid.

"Here's your fake champagne, miss..." he says.

"Eri." She replies as she gets her drink.

She stands up from her seat and faces me.

"Wanna dance?" she asks me.

"No thanks." I reply.

"Come on. It'll be fun!"

I take one final sip of my beer and stand up.

"Okay, sure." I say to her, not feeling tipsy at all.

I bring out my comb and fix my hair once again. She giggles and I put my comb back in my pocket.

"What?" I ask.

"It's nothing." She replies. "Let's go!"

She takes me to the middle of the dance floor and dances while I just stand there watching her.

"What's your name?" she asks while dancing.

"Tobitaka Seiya." I tell her.

"Tobitaka Seiya..." she repeats. "I'll remember that. It's nice to meet you, Tobitaka-kun." She says as she smiles.

Her smile manages to make me, well, smile. I smile at her while she dances.

"By the way, my name is Eri."

"I see. It's very nice to meet you, Eri-san." I say."

"Just call me Eri. You don't need to add the –san."

"Okay. You can just call me Tobitaka. Or would you rather use Seiya?"

"Seiya is perfect."

We just met and we're calling each other by our first names. I'm glad, though. I let her call me that.

"What school do you go to?" I ask.

"I just go to a local college in the city. It's nothing big. You?"

"Just some high school around town. It's not a surprise."

A bit of silence adds up to the awkwardness of our conversation.

"Okay, I was kidding." She says. "I go to a performing arts school. Specifically in Julliard. Age doesn't really matter there that's why all my friends are older than me. We're on vacation but I live here that's why we're here in Inazuma."

"A performing arts school?" I ask.

"Yeah."

I'm quite surprised. I just met a girl that's way out of my league. I guess bars are very unlucky.

"Tobitaka-san!" a girl calls.

"Is that your girlfriend?" Eri asks.

"No. I don't have a girlfriend." I reply.

Kohaku walks towards me while balancing a drunken Tsunami on her shoulders. He's completely wasted.

"We should get back." Kohaku says.

"Who's this girl, Tobitaka?" Tsunami asks, terribly drunk.

"Is he drunk?" Eri asks.

"Yes, he is. He drank so much that he's stumbling all over the place." Kohaku replies.

"She's too hot for you, man!" Tsunami tells me.

_I know that, you dumbass._ I think to myself.

"I have to go." Eri tells me. "Bye!"

Eri runs off somewhere until I don't see her anymore.

"Let's leave too."Kohaku tells me.

We walk towards Kohaku's car (with difficulty because of the drunken Tsunami) and ride to the training camp. She helps me assist Tsunami to his room. After that I go to my bedroom and start to ponder.

_Eri. What's your last name? Why did you talk to me? And when the hell can we leave this damn training facility?_

These thoughts cloud my mind. After the constant pondering I fall asleep.


	2. About Eri

This is just an extra chapter but it's still counted as a chapter. It doesn't have much purpose but to give you guys some spoilers. Not exactly spoilers but some needed information that I don't feel like giving while writing the story.

Full name: Raimon Eri (Emily Raimon is her English name)

Age: 17 (in this fan fiction)

Appearance: long blond hair that parts to the right and falls past her shoulders (specifically at half her back), fair yet slightly pale skin, orange irises, has a height of 5'4", and has the sizes 36B, 29, and 36.

Relatives: Raimon Natsumi (Nelly Raimon) - cousin

Chairman Raimon Souichiro - uncle

Deformities/unnecessary additional parts: a butterfly-shaped birthmark on her right shoulder covered by a temporary butterfly tattoo.

School: The Juilliard School (New York City)

Abilities: She can play soccer, she can sing, dance, act, and play the piano, guitar, and violin.

Eri has performed in many different plays and has been to Broadway several times to perform. Soccer is just a hobby of hers and is not what she takes seriously. She easily gets jealous and throws a fit when she gets mad. Some people call her a slut because of her bra-like top and her very short denim mini skirt that only covers a quarter of her thighs.

This is all you need to know about Eri.


	3. Finally: Tobitaka

"We don't participate in any major soccer tournaments in the meantime." Coach Kudou tells us as we eat breakfast. "You may all return to your respective homes if you wish."

Today is the day I take a break from soccer. Today is the day I can finally see Eri again. Wait a second. What did I just say? Never mind. Today is the day I am looking at Eri. Did I just say that I'm looking at Eri? No, this must be a dream. I pinch myself to see if I'm dreaming or not.

"Ow!" I yell.

I notice everyone staring at me including Eri. Oh my god, this is so embarrassing!

"Seiya?" says Eri. "Oh wow. I didn't know you were in team Japan's soccer team!"

Everyone just stares at Eri and then at me. They're probably thinking about how I know Eri. Right before I say something to Eri she speaks.

"I'm surprised, really. My cousin is connected to team Japan and helps them with things. Does this mean that you're a member of team Japan?"

"Yeah." I reply. "Wait, cousin?"

"Yup! My full name is Raimon Eri, niece of Chairman Raimon Souichirou."

Everyone in the team responds to that with a simple:

"EHHHHHHHHHH?"

It surprises me that the girl I met last night in a club is connected to the Raimon family. Heck, it's even more surprising to find out that she even IS a Raimon.

"Why do ugly guys always get the pretty girls?" Handa asks.

"First it's Tsunami-san and now Tobitaka-san? Who's next? Kabeyama? Has the world gone insane?" Kurimatsu asks.

"Hey! I'm not ugly!" Tsunami says.

I leave the cafeteria and go to my room to pack my things, forgetting about who is in there. I manage to stuff everything in a large duffel bag and I leave the training facility. With no other place to go to I arrive at the ramen shop Rairaiken and go to my room there. I put down my duffel bag and put on a plain black long-sleeved shirt and jeans. I go to the kitchen and see coach Hibiki cooking.

"Tobitaka! You're here." He says as he pours soup in a bowl. "Grab an apron and wash your hands. We have customers."

I fold up my sleeves, wash my hands, grab an apron, put it on, and walk to the kitchen to see the customers.

"Good morning. Welcome to Rairaiken. How may I help you?" I say with a smile.

Let me tell you guys a secret: nothing makes me happier than working here in Rairaiken. Well, seeing my friends makes me really happy so Rairaiken ranks second in the list of "things that make me happy". Still, working here makes me very happy and I'm getting much better in cooking since Toramaru gave me some advice.

"What's your cheapest meal?" asks a customer.

"The cheapest meal would be the plain udon." I reply.

"Okay. I'll have that, Tobitaka-san."

The customer's voice sounds so familiar. I turn around to see where the voice is coming from and see a familiar face. It wasn't Eri. Instead it's Toramaru.


	4. Spring is Here: Toramaru

You can't call it "For the Tiger" without the tiger! Here it is, Toramaru's point of view. I hope you enjoy this! :D

* * *

"Toramaru? What're you doing here?" Tobitaka-san asks.

I sit there nervously still unsure of what to say. I just say the first thing that pops in my head.

"Do you know anything about liking a girl?" I ask as I shut my eyes tightly.

I don't get to see his reaction but I have a feeling that he's surprised.

"No, but I want to be." He tells me. "Why do you ask?"

I bow my head dew to nervousness. I'm never really nervous but the thought of _her_ makes me shy especially since I'm going through puberty.

"There's this girl…" I say.

"That can be seen."

"…I like her…"

"That's obvious."

"… And she probably doesn't like me back."

"I see."

More thoughts fill up my mind as I think about her. What do I say?

"I'm not the best person to talk to with this situation." He says. "You can try someone else."

"Okay." I tell him. "Thanks anyway."

"Are you still going to take home your udon?"

"Can I have it in take out?"

"Okay."

After getting my meal in take out I leave the ramen store. Without looking at where I'm going I accidentally bump into a girl with blond hair.

"Are you okay?" I ask.

"I'm fine." She replies as she leaves.

With my ramen still okay I walk towards my family's restaurant and I get welcomed by Nonomi-neechan.

"Welcome back, Toramaru-kun!" she says in her usual jolly tone. "Why are you home so early?"

"They let us go home already." I reply as I run to the kitchen and start cooking. "Is mother in her room?"

"You know she is."

I hear the door open which means either there's a customer or there's trouble. It turns out to be a customer. It isn't just any customer, though. That customer happens to be Otonashi Haruna, the girl I've liked for a while now. The sad part is that she's not alone. She's with Natsumi-san, Aki, and Fuyuka-san.

"Toramaru-kun!" Haruna says. "I'm still surprised to see you here."

"You are?" I ask. _Man, she's so cute!_

You might wonder why Haruna is the girl I like. I have a few reasons. First of all, she has no interest in Endou-san (it's a shallow reason but it's true). Second, her age is closer to my age compared to the other girls. Third, do I even need a third? She's cute! I have a problem, though. More guys seem to be falling for her than I have hoped. They don't know that I like her but I can tell they really like her a lot. They are Kogure-san, Fudou-san, Sakuma-san, a guy that was once from Neo Japan named Genda, and Kidou-san. Most of us don't have a chance with Haruna. The only one that does is Kidou-san. He's always with her and they always hang out with each other.

"Can we have the specialty bento?" Natsumi asks.

"How many?" I ask.

"Four." They say in a chorus.

I head towards the kitchen and tell Nonomi-neechan their orders.

"Okay!" she says as we start cooking.

Once we finished cooking we walk towards their table and give them what they ordered.

"Thanks so much!" Haruna says with a smile on her face.

"You're welcome." I reply as I look away, nervous.

I walk away and head towards the kitchen to resume cooking for my deliveries. While cooking I watch Haruna as she eats. Her blue hair that is much lighter than mine has grown longer compared to the first time I saw her. Her eyes that shine like faint jades widen each time she takes a bite of what she eats. Her mouth opens and closes whenever she eats and talks. Her lips… wait, why am I thinking like this?

"Toramaru!" yells Nonomi-neechan.

"What is it?" I ask.

"You're burning the food!"

"Oh shit!"

I immediately switch off the stove and remove the pan. I remove the food from the pan and wait for it to cool down a bit before I check if it's still okay.

"I hope I didn't burn everything." I say.

"I doubt you burned everything. Look, there's more that's fine than burnt." Nonomi-neechan replies.

I look at the four girls. They all seem quite shocked. Maybe it's because I nearly destroyed someone's meal or because I was unusually out of focus just now. And then the girls giggle. Whether what happened was funny or not I'm happy to see them laugh. Haruna looks very cute while she laughs. She's laughing so hard that it manages to make me laugh.

"Welcome to Toranoya!" says Nonomi-neechan.

I look at the door and see Kidou-san, Endou-san, Ichinose, and Tsunami-san. They look like they were having a serious conversation.

"Brother!" Haruna yells in joy as she runs to Kidou-san and wraps him in a warm embrace.

_I wish I was him._ I think to myself. I know they're siblings but they act so, as the girls would say, 'sweet', and it's making me very jealous. He's practically the only guy she ever talks to and hangs out with.

"Haruna, now's not exactly the time to be happy." Kidou-san tells her.

"Why not?" she asks.

I walk over to them and ask about what's going on.

"It's about Tsunami." Endou-san replies.

"What's the matter, Tsunami-san?" I ask as we sit down to listen to his story.

"You guys know Kohaku, right?" Tsunami-san asks.

"I know I do." Replies Ichinose. "She's my cousin."

"I met her on our first day back in Liocott Island about four months ago. A week after we met we had se- I mean we did 'you-know-what'. She got pregnant and then we found out just last month that it was a miscarriage."


	5. The New Recipe: Tobitaka

"Hello again, Seiya."

THIS time the voice comes from a girl that I know. I turn around and see Eri looking at me while sitting in front of the counter.

"I've never had ramen before. I was told that Rairaiken has the best ramen in town so I came here." She says. "Can you prove it to me?"

I nod my head and start preparing the ramen. I put the noodles in a narrow strainer and hang it in a large pot of boiling water then cover the pot. I chop some spring onions, prepare some soup and pour some soup in the bowl. I take out some beef from the steamer, chopped it up, and put three pieces in the bowl. Then I take out the noodles and put them in the bowl and add a few pieces of spring onion for garnish. I added some seaweed and three pieces of fish paste cake (naruto) and a slice of egg. I give her the bowl with a smile. She smiles back.

"What is the dish called?" she asks.

"I don't know. I just made that dish up some time before." I reply.

"If I get sick you're paying for my hospital bill."

I watch her as she puts the noodles in her mouth. Her eyes widen as she swallows. She takes a sip of the soup and smiles. She gets a piece of beef, seaweed, and naruto and eats them. She smiles and eats more.

"This is really good!" she says. "You should name this dish. I have a feeling other people will love this just as much as I do."

"It's not in the menu." I tell her.

"Tell the owner or the manager to put it."

Coach Hibiki turns around and looks in my direction. I don't know what he's looking at but after a while he says something that was a bit strange.

"Can I try that?" he asks.

"Sure!" Eri replies.

Coach takes a bite of my unnamed recipe, chews it, and swallows. And then he smiles.

"This is a strange combination yet it's so delicious! This must be put in the menu. What should it be called?" he asks.

"How about 'beef naruto ramen'?" Eri suggests. "Or maybe BeeNaNoRamen? Or maybe—."

"Eri-ramen." I say interrupting Eri.

"Eri-ramen? Why Eri?" Coach Hibiki asks.

"Because she's the first one to taste it." I reply.

And then there's silence.

"I-I mean because it was made for her."

Silence.

"Forget it."

"Why not just call it Eri?" Eri asks.

I look at Eri and smile.

"Eri it is."

I turn to look at Coach Hibiki who is looking at me.

"You can take a break, Tobitaka." He says.

I quickly take off my apron, walk out of the kitchen, and leave the restaurant with Eri.


	6. Coupons: Toramaru and Haruna

After Tsunami-san and the others leave silence fills the restaurant. Natsumi-san then looks at me.

"How much do we pay?" she asks.

"Two thousand yen." I reply.

They start looking for their wallets and purses. Natsumi-san puts five hundred yen on the table. Fuyuka-san also puts five hundred yen on the table. Both Aki and Haruna put two hundred and fifty yen each. Then Aki puts five hundred yen and gets back her two hundred fifty.

"Sorry, I need the two fifty to go home." Aki says.

"We're two hundred fifty yen short." Natsumi-san says.

Haruna checks her wallet. She's beginning to look troubled.

"Oh no! I only have two hundred more yen in my wallet! If I use this we would still be fifty yen short and I have no money to go home with. What should I do?"

I hear my name being called from the kitchen. I walk to Nonomi-neechan who tells me that I am being called by my mother. I walk to my mother and ask her about why she called me.

"You like her, right?" she asks. "That Otonashi Haruna?"

I feel myself blush deeply.

"Yes, I do." I reply. "Why do you ask?"

"Give her these coupons." She tells me.

I pick up the coupons and leave the room. I see Haruna being comforted by three other girls. I walk towards their table and hand Haruna the coupons.

"My mother wants you to have these coupons." I tell her. "She didn't tell me why she wants you to have them but I think that she thinks that you might need them."

She gets the coupons from me.

"Fifty percent off on the special bento? Oh wow! That's so cool!" she says with joy. "I'll use a coupon now!"

She gives me her money and one of the coupons I gave her. The other girls give me their money as well. After that the four girls continue eating. By the time they finish they leave the restaurant.

_Haruna was so cute! I want to see her like that again. I hope she comes back with coupons._

_

* * *

_

I walk out of the restaurant with glee.

"I'm so glad that Toramaru-kun gave me these coupons." I say to the others.

"I wonder why he gave you those coupons in the first place." Says Aki.

"It's probably because of what he said." Says Fuyuka-san. "His mother is giving them to Haruna."

"I don't know either but it smells fishy." Says a familiar voice that isn't any of the four of us.

We all look to see who the voice belonged to and we see Rika.

"It might be a sign that he likes you!"

"Rika…" says Touko who happens to be there, too.

"This should be the first proper matchmaking I have! I mean you, Touko, didn't end up with Tsunami."

"I hope you don't mind me but Tsunami has a girlfriend." Interrupts Natsumi. "Her name is Osaka Kohaku. They met each other about four months ago in Liocott Island. He kept their relationship a secret from most of us but he admitted that he got her pregnant."

Rika's and Touko's jaws dropped.

"He WHAT?" they ask.

"If it makes a difference, it was a miscarriage." I say nervously.

"Miscarriage or not he still got her pregnant. He must love this girl!" Rika says. "I didn't get to be with my darling. He's back in America with a terrible injury!"

"Actually…" says another familiar voice. "Darling and I are right behind you."

Behind Rika are Domon and Ichinose.

"DARLING!" Rika yells as she hugs Ichinose. "It's been three years hasn't it? I missed you!"

"Well, since I don't play soccer anymore I didn't come here to play with the other guys." Ichinose replies. "I'm here for a competition—."

"So it's a sport?" Rika asks as she lets go of Ichinose.

"Yes. I'm actually competing in a—."

"Is it basketball?"

"No, it's—."

"Baseball?"

"No."

"Tennis?"

"No."

"Then what is it?"

"This is why Ichinose and I left in the first place." Interrupts Domon.

"Shut up!" Rika tells him.

"I'm competing in a dance sport competition with Kohaku." Ichinose says.

"THAT FLIRT!" Rika yells.

"It's not what you think."

I swiftly run away from the scene. Better not get involved in something you don't want to be at in the first place, right? I take a different route from my usual so that I can go to brother's place.

* * *

"Ooh! Toramaru likes a girl!" squeals Nonomi-neechan. "What's her name? She's kind of pretty. Is she smart? Does she cook? Somebody pinch me!"

_Well, this is embarrassing._ I think to myself.

"Toramaru, tell me! What's her name? Is she smart? Is she nice? Can she sing?"

Nonomi-neechan's teasing and questions are bothering me. I'm losing focus and Haruna's face clouds my mind. I also imagine her cooking, singing, and heck, I imagine her kissing me!

"Nonomi." My mom interrupts. "Stop teasing Toramaru. We can discuss this at closing time. There are more orders we have to fill in."

"Yes, ma'am!" Nonomi-neechan replies as she goes back to the kitchen.

It's a good thing my mom made her wait. Talking to someone about my love life is pretty embarrassing especially since I'm just going through puberty. In fact, I'm getting taller. I'm like five feet seven inches now! And I think my voice just cracked. Stupid puberty. It's a good thing I'm not getting zits.


	7. BONUS: Ichinose and Kohaku

It's a bonus chapter! You're not going to be reading in the perspective of Tobitaka or Toramaru or even Haruna or Eri but of Ichinose and his cousin Kohaku from my previous story, Amber. The reason why I chose to put a bonus chapter is because I want to put something different from the actual story. And since I like imagining Ichinose dance ballroom I chose to do their perspectives. I hope you like it! By the way, Ichinose comes first then Kohaku.

* * *

"She's not a flirt!" I say to Rika as I try to defend Kohaku.

"Then why is she going out with Tsunami and at the same time hanging around with you?" she asks.

"She's my dance partner. We're friends. Heck, we're closer than friends." I reply.

"Fine, she's not a flirt."

I sigh in relief to what she said.

"She's not a flirt because she is a SLUT! Did she sleep with you too?"

I put my palm on my face in frustration.

"Rika please calm down." I hear Domon say. "She isn't how you think she is. I know her and she's a nice person."

I walk away from the scene not wanting to get involved in Rika's trouble. I sigh in relief as her voice completely disappears from my hearing. I continue walking while reminiscing the old times I had here which were only very brief. I pass by Endou's house and notice his mother sweeping the floor. I pass by Raimon Junior High and remember when I studied there. I pass by the Inazuma tower and see Endou training. The sun is finally setting and I finally go to a restaurant. It's not so fancy. It's more like a big spoof of McDonalds called 'McBurger'. I order a simple burger meal with twister fries and a Coke float then walk to a table. I take a bite of my burger and notice someone sitting right across me. I'm sure it's not my reflection because even though I have tan skin and black eyes with long lashes I don't have long hair.

"Kazuya?" my 'reflection' says.

"Kohaku!" I say as I swallow the piece of hamburger I bit off.

"What're you doing here?" she asks.

"I'm eating dinner. What're YOU doing here?" I ask.

"I'm eating dinner."

It's silent and awkward while we're eating. Every movement we do is exactly the same as if we're really each other's reflection. Music plays in the restaurant, specifically Smooth by Rob Thomas and Carlos Santana. She grabs my Coke float as I grab hers. I look at her as she looks at me. We both smile at each other, nod, and stand up. She takes off her already opened button down shirt (it's green and orange just like mine) and it reveals that she's wearing a soft green t-shirt like me while I leave my button down shirt alone. I hold her hand and look into her eyes.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" I ask her.

She pulls me close to her as I pull her close to me.

"Why not?" she replies.

I hold her waist with my right hand and she holds my right shoulder with her left hand. Our free hands hold each other's and the song starts.

_Man it's a hot one_

We take our first two steps.

_Like seven inches from the midday sun_

We take two more steps.

_I hear you whispering the words that melt everyone_

_But you stay so cool_

I spin her until her back faces me and pull her close so her back touches me. After that I take her hands in mine and we slide our left feet around.

_My muñequita_

She faces me and puts her arms on my chest.

_My Spanish Harlem, Mona Lisa_

She puts her right hand on my left shoulder as I hold waist with my right hand and then we extend our arms.

_You're my reason for reason_

_The step in my groove_

We take two steps and then two steps back.

_And if you said_

She kicks off her sneakers so that she's only wearing socks.

_This life ain't good enough I would give_

She takes two steps backwards as she lets go of my shoulder and turns.

_My world to lift you up_

_I could change_

I take two steps backwards and turn.

_My life to better suit your mood_

I kneel down and slide towards her. And then I hold her by the waist and stand up as she sways her hips with her hands on my shoulders.

'_Cause you're so smooth_

We lean our foreheads together so that they can touch each other. I slide my left hand up as she slides her right hand down and we hold hands in position.

_And it's just like the ocean under the moon_

We take each other's right hands and take two steps as we extend our left arms.

_Well it's the same as the emotion that I get from you_

This time it's the opposite. We go back while holding our left hands as we extend our right arms.

_You got the kind of loving that can be so smooth_

While still holding our left hands we both take a step backwards. I pull her closer to me and spin her.

_Give me your heart, make it real_

She goes down (like kneeling but her knees don't touch the floor) and sways her hips for each beat while I extend both my arms and bring them closer to each other.

_Or else forget about it_

She slowly stands up as I hold her waist. The song is not over yet but a bunch of people are applauding and some people are forcing us to leave the restaurant. We get plastic bags and put our food in them and leave the restaurant.

"That was fun!" I say.

"Yeah, it was." She replies. "It's a really good warm up for our competition."

Our conversation continues as we head towards our hotel.

"I still don't understand why you pick Tsunami of all people." I tell her as we get on the elevator.

"There's nothing wrong with him." She replies as she pushes a button that says '10'. "When we met back in Liocott he saved me from drowning. We didn't get to know each other so much but we had this spark."

"Spark?"

"Yes, a spark. Without needing to talk to each other we knew that we had so much in common. He surfs and so do I. He found me quite pretty, I think, and I found him good looking. Watching him play soccer I could tell he loves it. I love soccer, too. I don't play so much but I love it."

"You found him good looking?"

"He was shirtless! He looked so hot."

We reach our floor and exit the elevator.

"And you never told me you guys had, you know." I tell her.

"How did you know about that?" she asks.

"Tsunami told me."

"Well you're in luck because it's—."

"It's a miscarriage. I heard."

"You seem to know everything."

"That's because your boyfriend told me a lot."

We finally stop in front of our hotel rooms.

"Goodnight, Kazuya." She tells me.

"Goodnight, Kohaku." I reply.

I go inside my hotel room and see Domon in the dining area.

"You're late." He says.

"I brought take out." I tell him.

I walk towards the dining table and put my take out on the table. I sit across Domon as I get my Coke float.

* * *

"I'm back." I say as I enter my hotel room.

After closing the door I open the fridge and put the Coke float inside. Right after closing the fridge door I feel arms wrap around my waist. Aware of what is going on I stuff my burger to whoever it is behind me until the arms aren't around me anymore. I turn around and see Jousuke.

"How do you like the burger?" I ask.

It takes him a while but he manages to swallow the piece of the burger he bit.

"This burger is okay." He says. "But okay isn't enough to satisfy me."

"Before you do anything I have to ask: why the hell did you tell Kazuya about the miscarriage?"

"It seemed necessary. He's your family, right?"

"He's family but I didn't think it was needed."

"Relax."

He pushes me and I land on something soft.

"How'd we get to the bed?" I ask.

"You didn't notice us slowly walking towards the bed?"

"No. That's why I'm asking."

"I see. You don't have to know now."

He stays at the foot of the bed while I hear a soft tinkling sound which makes me think of a belt when it's being removed. Then I see him take his shirt off revealing those 'still sexy as ever' abs. That's when it hits me. He took off his pants and his shirt. Oh crap, he wants to have sex! I sit up and see him already completely naked.

"Wait a second!" I say as he gets on the bed.

"What is it?" he asks.

"Jousuke, I can't do this. I can't risk getting pregnant again."

He gets off the bed and puts on a pair of boxers.

"I'm sorry if it upsets you. I just can't risk it anymore." I tell him.

"Nah, it's okay." He replies. "I knew you wouldn't want to anyway. Not unless we got married, right?"

His words make me feel suspicious.

"We can't get married yet." I tell him. "First of all, I'm too young to get married. Second, we're not yet engaged. Third, I don't know if our families approve."

"I don't think that really matters. We're together, aren't we?"

"Where are you getting at?"

I get off the bed and notice him digging through a bag. After that he walks towards me with his hands behind his back. Then he kneels down on one knee and takes out a box from behind him.

"We've only known each other for four months but I get this feeling that you're the only one. Will you do the honor of being…?"

He opens the box and I see what's inside. I'm surprised. I'm VERY surprised.

"… On the beach with me once again?"

The gift is sweet. Guys may call it 'cheesy' but it's nice. It's a necklace with a seashell pendant. The first time we met was on a beach. We haven't been to a beach since that time.

"This shell made me think of you so I made it a pendant. I hope you don't mind the cheesiness."

"It's perfect." I say.

"What's your answer?"

"Yes!"

He puts the box on the table beside the bed and hugs me really tight. I hug him back. We finally release the hug and then we kiss. The kiss is long. It's long, yes, but we release it. I feel his arms going up my back and one of his hands holds the back of my head. And then I push him.

"What was that for?" he asks.

"Sorry. I'm just paranoid." I reply.

I open the closet and pick a pair of pajamas. I get a short nightgown, close the closet, and change my clothes in the bathroom. After that I leave the bathroom and lie down on the bed. Jousuke turns out the lights and lies down on the bed beside me.

"Did you think I was going to propose?" he asks.

"No." I reply. "I knew you weren't. It didn't seem likely. By the way, don't you have your own place to stay in?"

"Sadly, no." he replies.

"Goodnight, Jousuke."

* * *

"Go to your own hotel room, Domon!" I say as I throw a pillow at him.

"Fine! I will!"


	8. Home Run: Tobitaka and Eri

A day with Eri is quite enjoyable. We went around the town but didn't know where we were going. Eri took me to the amusement park and we rode several rides. There was the roller coaster, the Ferris wheel, the ten meter drop and the magic carpet. After that we ate in a restaurant that served crepes that can be filled with different flavors. She ordered one filled with cookies and cream ice cream, wafer sticks, and chocolate syrup. I ordered one with tuna, crab sticks, and mango. When were done eating we walked around the shopping district and looked at some stores. She bought some clothes and some stuffed toys. Next we stopped by a music store.

"Hey look. It's a piano!" she said.

She walked towards the piano and opened it. She marveled at the sight of the black and white keys. She gently rubbed her fingers on some of the keys. She pressed one key and a note came out.

"Teak wood…" she whispered audibly. "…Real ivory and real ebony…"

She stepped on the pedals.

"…Brass…"

With her eyes closed she started playing. While she was playing she was singing along, too.

_We were strangers starting out on a journey_

_Never dreaming what we had to go through_

_Now here we are and I'm suddenly standing_

_At the beginning with you_

Before I knew it someone was playing with drums or whatever percussion instrument that can play a beat.

_No one told me I was going to find you_

_Unexpected what you did to my heart_

_When I lost hope you were there to remind me_

"_This is the start"_

_And life is a road and I wanna keep going_

_Love is a river, I wanna keep flowing_

_Life is a road now and forever_

_A wonderful journey_

_I'll be there when the world stops turning_

_I'll be there when the storm is through_

_In the end I wanna be standing_

_At the beginning with you_

She stopped playing and we left the area. The sun was setting and she took me to her house. It was huge.

"You live here?" I asked.

"Yes, with my mother and father." She replied.

We went inside the house and she brought me to a room.

"This is my bedroom." She said.

It was huge, too! There was a bed that can fit at least three people, a black grand piano, a violin case near a stand for sheet music (is that what it's called?), a stage, a large desk with two laptops and a telephone, a pair of doors that seemed like a foyer (she said it was her walk-in closet) and an actual foyer that lead to a balcony.

"Wow." That was the only thing I could say.

We went outside to the balcony and we saw the view of the entire town.

"I love this town." She said.

I didn't know what to say to her after that but that didn't matter. There I was standing there watching Eri look at the view. I walked towards her and looked at her with a smile on my face. She looked at me and smiled. Before I knew it I kissed her. I don't know how long it lasted but we released the kiss.

"Seiya…" she said.

Now it's eight thirty in the evening. Here I am in her bedroom with locked doors, covered windows, and lights switched off and we're kissing. Passionately, on her bed, almost naked. With me on top.

* * *

I don't know if you have to know a guy for twenty-four hours before you can call each other 'close'. I've only known Seiya for less than twenty hours and we're already here in my bedroom, on my bed, kissing. Or, in other words, making out. The first kiss was nice, yes, but this one is different. For a moment we release the kiss to breathe.

"_My lips,_" I say. "_Two blushing pilgrims, ready stand to smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss._"

"Is that from one of your plays?" he asks.

"No." I reply. "Just something that I love to read."

Unexpectedly, instead of kissing my lips he kisses my neck. I moan in delight as he bites my neck. I arch my back and I moan once more as he lifts up one of my legs and bites my neck again. One of his hands makes its way toward my breast (which was bare) and squeezes it. My hands start to tangle up in his hair due to the overwhelming pleasure growing inside of me. He puts his mouth back on mine and makes the kiss more intense by sliding his tongue inside. I, then, respond to that by sliding my tongue in his mouth. I'm not exactly sure what's happening right now but the next thing I know is that Seiya is getting off of me.

"Where are you going?" I ask.

"Nowhere in particular." He replies. "I'm just wondering if you're trying to abstain."

My eyes widen. We were that close to having sex and I didn't even know it! And now he's asking me if I'm abstaining. That's just sad.

"I'm sorry…"

"It's okay if you don't want to." He tells me. "Even I'm not ready."

I get off my bed and walk towards him. I look into his eyes and put my hand on his cheek. I give him a light kiss on the lips and, eventually, he kisses me back. We release the kiss and I smile at him.

"You should probably get home." I tell him. "Someone's gonna get worried if you don't go back."

He walks away from me and picks up his shirt.

"I'm not trying to send you home or anything. I just want what's best for your safety."

He puts on his shirt and opens the door.

"I know that, Eri." He says. "As much as I'd love to stay here I have some place I should be."

He looks at me and smiles.

"Goodnight, Eri."

"Goodnight, Seiya."


	9. Kiss the Girl: Toramaru

I wake up in the morning (not feeling like P. Diddy) after a strange dream. It's not important or anything though. I get out of my bed and walk towards the bathroom. I wash my face and leave. I go to the dining room, hungry, and wonder what I'll have for breakfast.

"Good morning, Toramaru!" says mom. "We're having the udon you brought home yesterday!"

_I brought udon?_ I think to myself. _Oh yeah! I got some yesterday at Rairaiken!_

I eat the udon, go back to my room, take a bath, and leave for my morning jog with a bag of extra clothes and water. I jog by Rairaiken, I jog by Raimon Junior high, and then I jog towards the soccer field by the river bank. I sit on the grass and rest for a while and bring out a bottle of water. I sip from the bottle and then I notice people playing soccer. I walk down to the field to look more closely at the people. One of them was Kidou-san.

"Kidou-san!" I say as I run towards him.

He looks in my direction as I see who else is with him. My eyes widen as I see Haruna with a soccer ball, kicking it. I feel my face turn bright red at the sight of Haruna. Then I see her look in my direction.

"Hi, Toramaru-kun!" she says as she waves at me.

I wave back at her nervously, feeling myself grow even redder as she smiles at me.

"Brother was just teaching how to dribble through other players." She says. "Invisible people, I mean."

"I see." I say, looking away.

"Do you want to help me practice?" she asks me.

My eyes widen. I look down at my feet, frozen. _She wants to train with me?_

_

* * *

_

Practicing with Haruna was quite fun. Unbelievably it's already twelve thirty in the afternoon. Oh shoot! I didn't tell mom! I think my thoughts have reached Haruna because I see her with a confused expression.

"You seem worried, Toramaru-kun." She says. "Is anything wrong?"

"I just forgot to tell my mom that I couldn't make it back to the restaurant to work." I reply. "I feel like an idiot."

"I'm sure your mother will understand." Kidou-san tells me. "Do you want to have lunch with us?"

"Sure." I say as I nod my head.

Kidou-san and Haruna take me to a restaurant that has two separate dining areas; one of them has a small stage with a microphone on a stand. There aren't much people but I can tell that they brought me to this restaurant for a reason. We find a table and sit down.

"You'll love this place!" Haruna tells me. "The food here is very good and there are really good performers that come here. Today some volunteers from America will be singing!"

"Volunteers?" I say. "Where are they from?"

"I don't really know." She replies.

All of a sudden the lights switch off and some colourful lights on the stage switch on. Then an announcer (who sounds like Dylan Keith) speaks.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome our guests for today, the cast of the upcoming musical play 'The Little Mermaid'!"

A number of people go up the stage. There isn't much though. One person steps forward. She's a girl with red hair and has fair but not pale skin.

"Good afternoon everyone! My name is Alyssa Pierce and I play the role of Ariel, the little mermaid."

Everyone gives a round of applause.

"We're going to sing some songs from our play and I—I mean WE are hoping you'll enjoy our performance here. I'll be singing the first song and it's called 'Part of Your World'."

The girl, I mean Alyssa, starts to sing. After her performance there are a few other songs. Performances come and go until a girl with blond hair walks up to the microphone and looks around the restaurant. I notice her frown.

"Hey guys. I'm Raimon Eri." She says.

Oh crap! That's the girl I just bumped into in front of Rairaiken! It's not just that. She's also the girl that came to the training facility yesterday when she talked about Tobitaka-san!

"I play Ursula the sea witch. I'm going to sing on of Ursula's songs. I hope you like it."

She sings some song that has the words "those poor unfortunate souls". I don't know what it's about but I find this song very demented. As the song ends I hear someone enter the restaurant. Eri looks somewhere and smiles.

"This next song is originally by Sebastian the crab but the director-slash-play writer didn't want him to sing. Instead of the crab we use my voice." Eri says. "I'd like to dedicate this song to my boyfriend who just arrived. For sure you know who you are. This is also for the boys who want to but don't have the guts to. This song is called 'Kiss the Girl'."

She puts both hands on the microphone.

"Strings." She says as someone plays the guitar. "Percussion, get set." She says as her backup singers, well, sing.

_There you see her sitting there across the way_

I look at Haruna who is just sitting right across me from the table. She's just watching Eri, not really paying attention to me.

_She don't got a lot to say but there's something about her_

'Don't got a lot to say'? That describes her surname quite well. She's the opposite of quiet. I don't mean it in a bad way! She talks but it's a good thing.

_And you don't know why but you're dying to try_

_You wanna kiss the girl_

My lip twitches. Oh shit, the song is right! I want to kiss Haruna!

_Yes, you want her_

_Look at her, you know you do_

It's true. I want her. I want her so bad.

_It's possible she wants you too_

_There's one way to ask her_

Her... wanting me? That's quite impossible! I look at her and see her looking at me. Holy crap, she's looking at me.

_It don't take a word, not a single word  
Go on and kiss the girl_

Me? Kiss Haruna? Gee, I'd love to but I don't think I can.

_Shala la lalala my, oh my  
Looks like the boy's too shy  
Ain't gonna kiss the girl_

I look away from Haruna and shut my eyes tightly. I could feel my cheeks turn pink.

_Shala la lalala ain't that sad?  
It's such a shame  
Too bad you're gonna miss the girl_

I take another glance at Haruna and notice her looking away from me. Her eyes were focused on Eri singing on stage. At this rate I'm never going to get her.

_Go on and kiss the girl_

All of a sudden the floor glows with blue lights.

"What the—?" says Kidou.

_Now's your moment  
Floating in a blue lagoon_

Lagoon. Nice. The funny thing is that I really feel like I'm on a boat with Haruna sitting across me. With Kidou-san too of course.

_Boy you better do it soon  
No time will be better_

So I can't kiss her later? Does it have to be really soon? My life doesn't depend on it but...

_She don't say a word  
And she won't say a word until you kiss the girl_

She really won't speak? Oh wait, she's no talking now. She's silent, facing away from me. Does she like me too?

_Shala la lalala my, oh my  
Looks like the boy's too shy  
Ain't gonna kiss the girl_

Once again I shut my eyes really tight and feel myself turn pink.

_Shala la lalala don't be scared  
You better be prepared  
Go on and kiss the girl_

I gulp. It's starting to feel hot. I take a deep breath, inhaling then exhaling. I can feel my face getting closer to hers.

_Shala la lalala don't stop now  
Don't try to hide it  
How you wanna kiss the girl_

I lean back and cover my mouth with my hand. It's getting quite obvious now and I know it. It's inevitable. I really know that I want to kiss her. Should I be ashamed for wanting to? I remove my hand from my mouth.

_Lalala la, lalala la  
Go on and kiss the girl_

I'm getting nervous.

_Lala lala, lala lala_  
I can feel an urge to...

_Go on and_

I slam my hands on the table and stand up.

_Kiss the girl_

I look at what I'm doing and realize that I'm being just plain stupid.

_Shala la lalala my, oh my  
Looks like the boy's too shy  
Ain't gonna kiss the girl_

I run away. Away from the table, away from the stage area, away from the people but still inside the restaurant. I stay at the entrance so that I can still hear the song.

_Shala la lalala ain't that sad?  
It's such a shame  
Too bad you're gonna miss the girl_

I hear someone panting behind me. I turn around and see Haruna breathing heavily. She is wiping away the sweat that was sliding down her cheek.

_Lalala la, lalala la, go on and kiss that girl  
Go on and kiss the girl_

"Haruna..." I say as I slowly walk towards her.

"Toramaru-kun, why did you run away like that?" she asks.

_Lalala la, lalala la  
Go on and kiss the girl_

I stand here, right here, in front of Haruna.

_Go on and kiss the girl_

She stands up straight and looks at me.

_Kiss the girl_

We both look each in the eye as I put my hand on her face. I never noticed that I was taller than her.

_Go on and_

She shuts her eyes tightly as I slowly lean towards her.

_Kiss the girl_

She runs away.


	10. Kiss the Girl: Tobitaka

I'm here. I may be late but here I am. Why am I late? Karasu showed up on my way. He was alone which surprised me.

"Hey Tobitaka. Where are you going?" he asked.

"None of your business. Get out of my way."

He blocked my way still.

"I don't want to talk to you." I told him.

"Just tell me where you're going."

"I already told you that it's none of your business!"

Unexpectedly he pushed me.

"What?" I asked.

"Come on, Tobitaka." He says. "We're buddies right? If you're just going to meet your girlfriend you can just say so."

My eyes widened. How did he know?

"What makes you say so?" I asked.

"Oh, it's just a hunch. Or maybe a lucky guess."

"You're acting suspicious."

"Me? Suspicious? No, I'm just trying to be friendly to the guy that is seeing my ex-girlfriend."

My jaw drops slightly. My eyes widen.

"Your what?"

"That's right, Tobitaka. I know about your relationship with Eri. Apparently you know nothing of her past relationships. That's just sad."

I stepped backwards, shocked.

"You're lying!" I said.

"No, Toby." He replied. "I'm telling the truth. She's the one that's not saying anything."

That was when I punched him in the face (which is funny because normally I kick hence the nickname 'Toby the Kicker'). He landed on the sidewalk on his side. Shocked with what I did I ran away until I reached the restaurant. As soon as I entered the dining area with the stage I saw Eri.

"This next song is originally by Sebastian the crab but the director-slash-play writer didn't want him to sing. Instead of the crab we use my voice." Eri says. "I'd like to dedicate this song to my boyfriend who just arrived. For sure you know who you are. This is also for the boys who want to but don't have the guts to. This song is called 'Kiss the Girl'."

Here I am not just standing right in front of the stage with Eri singing to me.

_There you see her sitting there across the way  
She don't got a lot to say but there's something about her  
And you don't know why but you're dying to try  
You wanna kiss the girl_

Her voice is quite captivating. It's like I'm falling in love with Eri all over again. Wait a second. I'm in love with her? Since when was I? We're not even dating. We went out once but that is all that happened. Then again she called me her boyfriend. Maybe I am in love with her.

_Yes, you want her  
Look at her, you know you do_

I really do want her. I like her in a sense like seeing her naked on her bed or in a sense like kissing her passionately. That kind of want is what I mean.

_It's possible she wants you too  
There's one way to ask her_

I know she wants me. I think she wants me. Does she really want me? How can I tell?

_It don't take a word  
Not a single word  
Go on and kiss the girl_

I expected this.

_Shala la lalala my, oh my  
Looks like the boy's too shy  
Ain't gonna kiss the girl_

_Shala la lalala ain't that sad?  
It's such a shame  
Too bad you're gonna miss the girl  
Go on and kiss the girl_

I'm not shy! I just smile at her after this verse and then the floor turns blue.

_Now's your moment_

_Floating in a blue lagoon_

We're in a lagoon? No, **I** am in a lagoon. Eri is on stage.

_Boy you better do it soon  
No time will be better_

_She don't say a word  
And she won't say a word until you kiss the girl_

I really want to kiss her again. Sadly she's on stage so I won't get to feel them until she's finished with the show or song or something.

_Shala la lalala my, oh my  
Looks like the boy's too shy  
Ain't gonna kiss the girl_

_Shala la lalala ain't that sad?  
It's such a shame  
Too bad you're gonna miss the girl_

Eri removes the microphone from the stand and walks across the stage as she sings.

_Shala la lalala don't be scared  
You better be prepared  
Go on and kiss the girl_

She looks at me and she winks.

_Shala la lalala don't stop now  
Don't try to hide it  
How you wanna kiss the girl_

She walks to one side of the stage with the microphone in her hand.

_Lalala la, lalala la  
Go on and kiss the girl_

So it seems she is getting off the stage.

_Lalala la, lalala la  
Go on and..._

She walks in front of me.

_Kiss the girl_

She smiles at me.

_Shala la lalala my, oh my  
Looks like the boy's too shy  
Ain't gonna kiss the girl_

_Shala la lalala ain't that sad?  
It's such a shame  
Too bad you're gonna miss the girl_

All this is right in front of me.

_Lalala la, lalala la, go on and kiss the girl  
Go on and kiss that girl_

She puts one hand on my shoulder while singing.

_Lalala la, lalala la  
Go on and kiss the girl_

I bring myself nearer to Eri and wrap my arms around her waist.

_Go on and kiss the girl_

Our foreheads touch.

_Kiss the girl_

She puts the hand that was on my shoulder to my face.

_Go on and kiss the girl_

When she finishes the line I kiss her. I kiss Eri on the lips.

* * *

The performance is over and the two of us leave the restaurant.

"I'm so glad you came on time." She says. "I was worried that you might not come."

"Well I'm here right now." I reply. "I'm here with you."

She blushes deeply. Her face is so pink that I find it quite adorable.

"I wish I could go back to that ramen store." She tells me. "What's it called again? Rairaiken?"

"You were there yesterday." I tell her.

"I know. I just want to go back there since you work there and all. I feel like trying out the dumplings." She replies with a smile.

"Yes, Tobitaka. Let's have dumplings at that Rairaiken thing." says a familiar voice that is not Eri or me.

We turn around and see Karasu standing right behind us.

"Karasu..." I say in a low tone that shows I'm angry.

"We meet again, Eri." He says as he gets closer to Eri.

"What do you want, Yuki?" she asks.

"Yuki... I haven't been called that in a while. My answer to your question is nothing you need to know." He replies.

I close my hand into a fist. I, like Eri, want to know what he wants with us.

"Thanks for the punch earlier, Tobitaka." He tells me. "I didn't need it but it made me realize that you're mad at me. You're mad at me because of the past. Not of our past as gang members but of _**MY**_ past with miss Raimon Eri."


	11. Visions and a Demon: Haruna

Why did I run away from Toramaru? I'm quite confused with myself.

I'm walking home with brother just looking at my feet. The scenes from earlier this afternoon keep repeating in my mind. When I chased him, when he touched my face, when I ran away. I shut my eyes tightly and shake my head to get the scenes off my mind.

"Haruna?" says brother.

"Yes, brother?" I say as I look at him.

"Is something bothering you?" he asks.

I don't reply. To be honest I don't know if it's even bothering me. Instead of replying I look forward. I see two people, a guy and a girl. The boy has dark hair that spikes upwards and is wearing a plain white shirt and jeans. The girl has dark hair that falls on her shoulders, similar to mine, and is wearing a blue and white striped shirt and white short shorts just like mine. The couple look like they're about to kiss. His hand is already touching her face and their faces just millimeters away from each other. The girl, then, runs away.

"Wait!" I yell to the girl.

"Who are you talking to?" brother asks.

When I take a look at the couple the boy is gone.

"Weren't there two people there just now?" I ask.

"No. The street was empty." He replies.

Am I just imagining things? I think I'm becoming delusional.

"I'm still wondering why Toramaru left." Says brother.

I, once again, look at my feet, not caring where I would end up in. I can't tell brother that he left because of me. I look at brother and move closer to him.

"What's the matter?" he asks.

"It's nothing." I reply as I lean on his shoulder.

We finally reach his house. I get off of brother's shoulder as he rings the doorbell.

"Well, I'm off." I tell him.

"You don't want to go inside?" he asks.

"I'm sorry but I can't. The Otonashi's are waiting for me." I reply.

I walk away until brother manages to grab my wrist. I turn to look at brother. He puts his hand on my cheek and I notice his face go nearer to mine. That was when I felt his lips. The touch of his lips is very, what's the word? Nice. His lips are soft which feels quite, as I said, nice. Finally he releases the kiss.

"That's our first." I say. "Our first in a long time."

"Yes, it is." He replies. "See you soon, Haruna."

He enters his house and closes the door. I touch my forehead. I close my eyes and remember the last time he kissed me on the forehead. I was only five and that was after our parents died. Back then he said that everything was going to be okay.

"Better get home." I say to myself.

I pass by the area where the couple once was. They aren't there anymore. I pass by the restaurant we came from and I see them through the glass door. I open the door and notice that both of them are gone. I pass by the school and, once again, I see the couple only this time they're behind the school gate. I try to open the gate but it's locked. I watch the girl run away and after I blink the boy is gone! I pass by Toranoya and see the boy. The boy looks like he's carrying two large white containers used for delivering food. He puts the containers at the back of his bicycle, gets on it, and leaves. I, of course, with my detective intuition, follow him. He stops at a house and I hide as not to be seen. He gets one box out of one of the containers. He gives it to the man at the porch of the house and gets back on his bicycle. After following him around for ten houses (and hiding to avoid being seen) I feel tired. We finally reach Toranoya and we both enter. To keep him from getting suspicious of me I sit at a table and look at the menu.

"Can I take your order?" a familiar voice asks.

I put my menu down and see the waiter. My eyes widen. It's the boy I've been chasing around. In other words, the boy happens to be Toramaru. So all this time I've been seeing the boy and the girl I was seeing Toramaru? Who is the girl?

"Haruna...?"

We look at each other eye to eye and I see something. I see what he has seen. He has the same vision as I do. The boy who tries to kiss the girl is him. The girl who runs away is, not so surprisingly, me.

"Is it okay if we talk?" he asks.

"You're busy right?" I reply.

"My mother will understand."

* * *

Toramaru and I are right outside Toranoya talking.

"I apologize for earlier." He says. "I was acting quite stupid and I let you follow me."

"It's not your fault." I tell him. "Something or someone must have been going around in your head which caused you to act like that."

"Yeah, I guess so."

Sometimes I wonder what people are thinking. Right now I want to know what Toramaru _has been_ thinking. Why he stood up and ran off during the performance, why he tried to kiss me. Yes, this has been bothering me, as you can see.

"What are you thinking?" I ask.

"Is that bad?" he asks, confused.

"That's not what I meant! I'm just asking you what you're thinking about right now."

It becomes silent.

"You." He says.

"What about me?" I ask.

"I'm thinking about you."

I look at him. He's very pink. I can feel myself turn pink as well.

"I like you, Haruna."

I can't run away anymore. I already ran away from him once and I can't do it again.

"How do you feel about me?" he asks.

How do I feel about him? I don't know. I honestly don't know. Do I like him back? Do I just want to be friends with him? Do I hate his guts?

"It's okay. You don't have to tell me anything." He says. "Whether you like me or not I'll still like you anyway."

I can feel myself turning pink again. I think I like him but I'm still not sure.

"I think you running away earlier means that you don't like me. I think I understand. I don't know if there is anyone you like but I'll still like you."

That's when someone interrupts our conversation.

"Toramaru! We have more deliveries!"

"Coming, Nonomi-neechan."

Before he goes inside he stands in front of me. He puts one hand on my face, slowly leans forward, and kisses me. He kisses me on the lips. The kiss lasts long until he releases the kiss and goes inside the restaurant. I put my fingers on my lips. This isn't my first kiss but I don't hate it. In fact, despite the fact that my first kiss was very romantic, I think I prefer this kiss. I smile as I head home. I'm not near the house yet when I hear a voice that sounds familiar.

"Hello, my dear sweet sacrifice."

I turn around and see a guy with rather dark skin, long dark and spiky hair, and an all black getup. He's in a black hooded jacket over a black shirt and black jeans with a pair of black sneakers. My eyes widen at the sight of the familiar person.

"Desuta?" I say, shocked.

"You got that right." He replies.

"How did you find me?" I ask. "Is Sein here too?"

"My answer to your second question is a 'no'. As for your first question the answer, it's simple: I rode a jet."

"Why are you here?"

He walks closer to me. An evil smirk forms on his face. I turn away and run but he manages to get a grip on my wrist. I try to get out of his grip but he pulls me closer to him. A hand touches my cheek and a pair of lips crash themselves onto mine. My eyes widen in shock but I give in. A few seconds pass and the kiss progresses which causes me to push him away.

"I bet you enjoyed the kiss." He says.

"Not even close." I reply.

* * *

**Author's Note: **I'm sorry I took forever to update it. I'm really sorry! To be honest the last part of this chapter has been tweaked by me in order for fans to not think Haruna is a Mary Sue getting all the guys and all. What I wrote was slightly graphic (but not as graphic as Amber, I swear) and involved Desuta doing things to her (but still not as graphic Amber!) and she was enjoying it. I just cut that off because I don't want any bashing with the pairings. Don't ask me why I sent Desuta there.

Oh, another note: _"In fact, despite the fact that my first kiss was very romantic..."_ This isn't actually related to any of my other fan fiction but I'm happy to say that I'm making her first kiss someone who I like her with. I referenced the kiss to 'Accidentally in Love' which, apparently, was written much later than this fan fiction was finished. That line, the one about the first kiss, was written at last minute before posting. I just thought it would be better if I had a first kiss reference.

One last note: This is about Toramaru and Tobitaka. She's not supposed to get much attention. Yeah, she's the one Toramaru likes but this story is not about her. I don't know why I wrote this chapter. Oh wait, it was because I watched the episode of Hell's Army Z. I wrote this when it came out raw so I didn't really know much of what they were saying. Well, this is how the story will go. Nothing too graphic with Haruna so I can avoid bashing about Mary Sues. I might post the original version of this chapter some other time but as a separate fan fiction about the two of them. The next chapter is Tobitaka's!

I'll update as soon as possible, I promise.


	12. Mine: Tobitaka

"Get out of our way, Karasu." I saw as I close m hand into a fist.

"Just let me say 'hi' to my ex-girlfriend." Karasu replies.

Eri looks at Karasu. "Yuki, don't."

"Eri, you're with that guy?" Karasu asks. "Seriously?"

"You can't tell me who I can and can't be with!" she tells him.

Karasu seems pissed. Surprisingly he pulls Eri closer to him and wraps his arms around her.

"I still don't understand why you left me and end up with that worthless moose." he tells her.

Hearing this makes me mad.

"I broke up with you because you were a terrible guy." she replies. "You hurt people. You led a gang. Heck, you threatened me while we were together!"

"Listen, Eri, I changed for you." he says.

"As if! You still lead that gang. Do you not care what your mother thinks? She doesn't want you leading that group and neither do I!"

"Don't tell me what to do!"

I pull Eri out of Karasu's arms and wrap her in mine.

"You really haven't changed." she tells him. "I'm so glad we're through."

"Did you tell him about our kid?" Karasu asks.

My eyes widen as my grip on Eri tightens.

"You didn't know, Tobi the kicker? Eri and I have a son." he replies.

"Daughter." Eri corrects him.

"Eri and I have a daughter. Before you met her she was with me." he says. "We were dating, yes. We dated three years ago and, after dating for a year, I chose to take the relationship to the next level."

"So you decided to have sex with her?" I ask."

"No!" Eri replies. "He told be he wanted, yes, to have sex. I said 'no'. I don't know why but after that he attacked me. He just pounced on me, started going all crazy and he..."

"And then she dumped me." Karasu continues. "A few months after that I saw her while I was with the rest of the gang. She was walking around the neighborhood with a large stomach. I came to her and she told me she was pregnant with my child."

"Where's the kid?" I ask Eri, still not letting go of her.

"At my house." she replied. "My mom takes care of her while I'm studying in America. I didn't want her to meet her father."

The two look at each other with their eyes not letting go.

"But I did meet her." Karasu said, his tone suddenly changing. "Why did you say you didn't want me to see her?"

Eri looks away from Karasu. "Because you're a jerk!" I tighten my grip on her as Karasu walks closer to her.

"Me? A jerk? You see me as a JERK?" he yells. "You're the idiot that didn't say 'yes'! You're the idiot that didn't want to have sex with me! You didn't tell me firsthand that you were pregnant. I had to ask you about it. I wanted to apologize to you but what happened after that? I was visiting your house and then I found out that you left the FUCKING COUNTRY! You left me without saying goodbye! Who's the jerk now, Eri?"

He looks as if he wants to strangle Eri. He grabs her face as I stand there speechless.

"I just wanted to tell you how much I loved you." he said as tears fell down his face. "But NO. You didn't even bother. Last night, after seeing you with Tobi here I just had to talk to you. Here we are now, fighting. Fighting, all because you said NO!"

"Don't talk to her that way!" I tell him.

He lets go of her. Then he laughs the laugh people do when they're crazy. A laugh with a forced smile and sad eyes. "You're still protecting her after that story? Did you not hear what I just told her?"

"I heard what you said." I reply.

"Why the fuck are you still here, protecting her and not giving her back to me?" he asked.

I hesitate a but. I gulp and brace myself. "Because I love her."

It becomes silent for a moment. After that I release Eri and look her in the eye.

"I love you, Eri." I tell her. "I love you and no one and nothing can ever change the fact that I love you. Not a kid that isn't mine. Not even a psycho ex-boyfriend."

"I'm right here, you bastard." interrupts Karasu.

"Shut up." I tell him.

I look at Eri's bright amber flame-like eyes and, once again, speak. "I love you even though you've been hiding this big secret from me."

"Seiya." she says as she cries. "Honestly, I've been thinking about how I feel."

There's a possibility that she's not going to tell me she loves me back. People usually say this to break the heart of the person that admits their feelings for them. I just told her that I love her, which is true. This weight she's carrying on her shoulders isn't baggage, it's unimportant. The kid that isn't mine, I can simply raise it as my own. Karasu as her ex, I don't care. I can protect her from him with all my strength. Now she's probably going to tell me that she doesn't feel the way I do.

"I love you too, Seiya."

See? I told you so. Wait. What?

"I love you Seiya." she says as she wipes her eyes. "I love your hair that reminds me of a moose I saw in Canada."

Ouch.

"I love the fact that you comb it even when you're cooking."

What?

"I love your cropped leather jacket that looks very girly."

Ouch.

"I love your everything, Seiya!"

I hold her in my arms without a care in the world. I hug her really tight with a smile on my face. "I fell in love with an asshole's ex-girlfriend. She is the best thing that's ever been mine."


	13. You: Toramaru and Haruna

Author's Note: Finally! After my last update, which feels like it was many years ago, I couldn't find the perfect time to post again. After finding my notebook with the complete story, I just had to start with this chapter. Enjoy!

* * *

It's been a week and Haruna still hasn't talked to me since I kissed her.

School just started again today and I already transferred to Raimon High School for the year. I see Haruna around the campus but she never notices me. I call out her name but she doesn't respond. I touch her; she turns around, sees me, and walks away.

Annoyed by her actions, I write I note.

_Haruna,_

_Meet me after school in front of the training camp. Come alone. I need to talk to you._

_Toramaru_

I fold the note in half twice and put it in the pocket of my pants. I reach the classroom of 2-A and notice someone in the classroom. I walk up to him as I remove the note from my pocket.

"Excuse me. Are you from class 2-A?" I ask.

"Yes, I am." He replies. "Wait a minute, you're Utsunomiya Toramaru!"

Oh great, an upperclassman fan. I used to love it when an older person comes up to me for autographs and everything but now, when I need to be with someone really bad, it's quite annoying.

"That's right." I say, feigning excitement. "Is there something you need?"

"Can I have an autograph?" he asks as he gives me a sports magazine and a black marker.

I take the magazine from him and look at the article he asked me to sign. It's an interview with me sometime after the International High School Tournament finals against, believe it or not, Britain.

In the article, the interviewer asked me: "Do you have anyone in mind? Who are you hoping would watch you play in the tournament?" My reply was simply: "Yes, I do. It's a secret." I wouldn't want the public to know I wanted Haruna without Haruna knowing first.

I sign the magazine and give him back the magazine and pen. "Here you go."

"Thank you so much!" he says. "I idolize you more than your other teammates!"

Without letting him continue whatever it is he is going to say, I give him the note. "Give this to Otonashi Haruna. Don't tell her who it's from; don't tell her I gave it. Just give it to her without question."

The boy goes inside the classroom and I leave.

I run to my classroom, hoping I'm not late for class. It turns out that my next class is P.E. and our lesson is, as you may have guessed, soccer. Lucky for me, the teacher excused me from class and said that I could do whatever I want but I have to be back before class ends.

Not wanting to be bored, I go outside to the quadrangle. There's a basketball game going on with the third year class members. Gouenji-san is doing really well and Kidou-san looks like an awesome strategist. I watch the game from a bench nearby.

"Gouenji!" a guy yells as he passes the ball to Gouenji-san.

Dribble, pass, shoot, score! It's just like soccer only you're actually allowed to use your hands.

"Toramaru?"

I see Kidou-san standing in front of me.

"Kidou-san!" I say as I stand up from my seat.

"Are you playing hooky?" he asks me.

"Of course not! My gym teacher said I can do whatever I like. I happened to see your year level playing basketball so I sat down and watched." I reply nervously.

Gouenji-san appears to be approaching someone. He walked towards a girl! She wipes off the sweat from his face with a towel.

"Who is she?" I ask Kidou-san, somehow pointing at the girl with my eyes.

"That girl is just someone he met last summer." He replies. "I think her name is something like 'Yuni' or something like that. I don't know who she is, why she studies here, and how the heck Gouenji even got to be with a girl like that. I still have no idea if they're even officially dating."

"Dating?!" I say, surprised.

"There's no need to be surprised. We're all growing up. There's nothing wrong with dating."

"Are you dating anyone?"

He sighs. "No. Not yet, at least. I don't really have a girl in mind, at the moment."

"Speaking of girls," I add. "Has your sister been acting strangely?"

He folds his arms and looks down. Clearly this subject has been bothering him. "Haruna…" he pauses. "He hasn't been talking to me since we went home from the restaurant. She wouldn't even look me in the eye."

"The same thing is happening with me." I tell him. "I wonder what could be wrong."

* * *

"Here you go, Otonashi."

I get a note from Toramaru that tells me he wants to talk to me. I understand why he wants to talk but I don't know what I should say. How can I explain to him that a demon attempted to molest me? I'd rather not get into details with this situation.

I can hardly remember much of what happened with me and Desuta last night. All I remember is that I wanted to be with Toramaru, and not Desuta. I told him to stay away from me, that I didn't want him.

I remember saying: "I don't like you and I don't like what you're doing. I don't know why you're doing this, making my like some stupid cliché love story with the lead girl falling for some supernatural, superhuman-like creature or beast whatever. I don't want anything to do with you, now please leave me alone!"

He was gone. He just disappeared and I don't know why.

Here I am, right now, looking at Toramaru's note, still thinking about what I should tell him.

* * *

School is finally over. What a relief!

"Hey, Toramaru," one of my classmates says. "What's our home—?"

I don't let him finish, of course. I run out of the classroom, out of the school building, and out of the gates. I run to the gates of the training camp and wait.

_Haruna is going to be here,_ I think to myself.

I don't wait long. She arrives almost instantly after I get here.

"You want to talk to me?" she asks.

"Actually, yes." I reply. "You've been ignoring me for an entire week. I'm not really interested to know what happened and caused you to ignore me. All I want to know is why you're ignoring me."

Okay, that sounded stupid.

"I won't tell you."

I stare at her with wide eyes and a dropped jaw. "What?"

"The past week I've been thinking about nothing but you."

"I don't think I fully understand what you're trying to tell me."

"It means I like you too, silly!" she says as she kisses me.

* * *

Author's Note (again): This chapter is shorter than it's really supposed to be. The original version of this chapter had a longer narration for Haruna, which was about a near-rape experience with Desuta told in great detail. I decided to exclude it from this story because I might change the rating of this from T to M! We don't want _**that**_to happen now, do we? Anyway, after this chapter will be the story's finale. I kind of don't want to finish this story yet, mostly to leave you guys in suspense.

Oh, if you guys want me to write more about ToraHaru or stories with my original characters (notice I said _"my"_, meaning _not_ yours), just tell me and I'll continue writing! For those that just want to read my stories, you can read my newest story, "The Noisy Sleeping Beauty". Leave a review there and tell me what you think. I hope you enjoy it!


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